WFB - Things to Discuss with your Wedding Photographer

April 30, 2015

Wow, I’ve been lady Lemus for 6 months now!!!! I can’t believe how the time flies. So now that things are back to normal life I believe it’s time to share some of the things I’ve learned from being a wedding photographer bride (wfb). This is the first installation of WPB but I’ll try to do tidbits for everything I have information on and if you have a specific topic you want discussed please leave it in the comments.

So of course, lets kick it off with wedding photography!

Choosing a wedding photographer is absolute banana sandwich nowadays. There are SO MANY of us to choose from. I’m sure I’m not supposed to tell you that but if you’ve spent even one second on that little site called pinterest or blinked in front of a wedding blog you already know this first hand. But don’t fret my friend, grab a glass of red wine and I’ll help you make it through this daunting quest!

Step One… cut a hole in the… oh wait no, that’s not right. Step one is to figure out what style of photography you like. Don’t look at the details, look at the whole picture. Are you drawn to fine art? Darker matte images? Bright film like images? Classic and clean? Colorful?

Step Two… Once you’ve deduced what you like, go on the hunt. Ask friends for referrals, wander instagram, check out wedding blogs that fit within your style (style unveiled, fearless, offbeat bride, ect). Depending on your budget you may have to explore outside your city’s radius to find what you want (we did). But good news is most photographers travel and some even prefer it (wink).

Step Three…. Contact those you like and feel em out. You want to be comfortable with their personality as much as you are with their product. I can’t help with the personality part but here’s some things to discuss with your wedding photographer about their work.

Before Booking

1. Ask to see an entire wedding gallery. And if possible make it one at or similar to your wedding venue. Seeing a gallery of someone who got married at a beach when you’re getting married at a ballroom is like like seeing the Eiffel tower…. in Vegas. Not the same thing.

2. If you’re hiring a second shooter ask what their role is. Time and time again I’ve heard stories and had friends who pay for a second set of eyes and end up getting a human light stand. Make sure if you’re hiring them to cover specific things like cocktail hour, reception details or the guys getting ready that this is communicated and understood.

3. Ask about backup equipment. Technology fails, it just does. The answer to “how many cameras do you bring” should always be 2 or more because the last thing you want is to have your photographer taking iPhone photos next to aunt sally.

4. How and when are my images delivered? We live in a digital age of right now so it’s always good to know just how long you’ll be waiting and it’s even better to know where to look when that time is up. Are you getting a gallery or a USB? Can you download from that gallery? Can you print from either one?

5. Will my images be retouched/color corrected? One of the saddest tales I’ve heard recently was of someone who paid the amount of my car for a wedding photographer only to receive at the end of the day unedited images that looked nothing like the photographers portfolio and a small print in their contract they didn’t catch earlier that said “editing will be $xx per image”. Oof!

Bonus Round Question…. Are you a flasher? Ok maybe don’t phrase it like that haha. But here in Florida weather can change on a dime, at 2pm it may be a cloudless sunny sky and by 3pm it’s a black thunderstorm. Natural light photography is STUNNING but in the wedding world you’ve gotta know how to use lighting for when situations just aren’t ideal or just for general cool things like fancy exits!

During Planning:

1. Talk about the timeline. The first instinct for most is to put their ceremony near sunset but in a lot of cases this puts portrait hour in the dark and that’s rough. Photography is dependent on light so if it’s an aspect that’s important to you talk about the timeline with your photographer before moving on to invitations.

2. Don’t be afraid, ask for what you want! We are not mind readers. Certain things you’ve just got to ask or tell your photographer. If you’re best friends with great aunt sue let us know so we spend time taking photos of you and her. If it took you three months to hand craft your bridesmaids presents send us a smoke signal or something! We’ll give you a cookie and lots of photos of your hard work.

Bonus Round Question…. Do you eat? Most vendors require a meal if they’re working a certain number of hours. If you’re just an awesome bride feel free to ask your team if they have any dietary restrictions and tell your caterer that they need to be fed at the beginning of dinner service rather than the end. This ensures a happy team that will be done eating by the time you’re ready to get the party started.